Wind and uneven rain gives WA crops a patchy start

Low subsoil moisture levels, a late break and scarce rainfall will cause some areas of WA to have below average grain yields.

Tough start: Some Western Australian grain yields are likely to be below average this season.

CROPS are up and out of the ground in Western Australia, but most of the state’s grainbelt lacked a drenching during sowing and the winter weather outlook is looking bleak.

This month’s Grain Industry of Western Australia crop report indicated grain yield potential in central, northern and south coastal regions was “below average” due to low subsoil moisture levels, a late break and below average rainfall.

However, average yields are expected for eastern reg­ions, Lake District, the western area of the Esperance zone and central western reg­ions of the Albany zone.

According to the report, sown crop area is up from last year, which was boosted by summer rainfall in some areas.

And on the back of China announcing hefty 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley, plantings have dropped “substantially”.

“The reduction in planned percentage of barley plantings in the central regions has been around 20 per cent,” the report said.

“As an agronomic res­ponse to the later break in the north of the state, growers have also reduced barley plantings with most substituted for wheat.”

But the reduction in southern regions is just 5 per cent, replaced by wheat and oats.

For canola plantings, area is reported to have “reduced slightly” compared with last month with some paddocks suffering wind damage.

Grains Industry of Western Australia chair Michael Lamond said winds of about 80km/h damaged crops after hitting growing regions in the north about a month ago.

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“There was a heck of a blow of about 80km/h winds, lasting for about for six hours,” Mr Lamond said.

“Areas around there received no rain prior to the wind so it caused quite a bit of damage and there will be quite a bit of resowing after crops sprouted and died.”